Bowling tourney packs 'em in

On behalf of the Island Community Center’s board of directors, the Center staff and all those we serve, I would like to offer a very heartfelt “thank you” to Billy and George O’Connor for 20 wonderful years of the O’Connor Bowling Challenge. What an unbelievable event this year! The O’Connor Challenge always has the feeling of an annual “Island reunion” where everyone dons bowling shoes and gathers for a wonderful cause! Thanks to the Anna Maria Island Sun for sponsoring another very successful event. Thanks, as well, to the local businesses for their generous raffle prize donations and to all the volunteers who helped make this year’s event run so smoothly. The 20th Annual O’Connor Bowling Challenge raised $9,244.00 to bring the total over the past 20 years to more than $168,500. These funds will continue to help the Anna Maria Island Community Center to better meet the needs of our youth sports programs and provide much needed educational equipment at the Center. Please know in your heart that you and all the other contributors and volunteers are helping us to make a difference for future generations. And. if you didn’t get a chance to purchase a commemorative T-shirt at the tournament, you can find them at the Center. Thanks again.

Pierrette Kelly
Center executive director

Pay police more, increase pensions

In Holmes Beach, we have every reason to be proud of our police department and our city administration. Commissioner Al Robinson's rants against our policemen and their pension fund are an embarrassment to us all. Our police force have to wear a gun to work everyday to protect us. During the next hurricane threat our police cannot leave to protect their families and homes because they must guarantee the safety of our families and homes. Studies have shown that the average natural lifespan of a police officer is substantially reduced due to the immense stress accompanying their jobs. We should pay them more and increase their pensions. If Mr. Robinson is hell bent on creating a political name for himself, he should try another issue.

Sean Murphy
Holmes Beach

Fire rescue crews are true heros

The scenario: Three public officials on the beach, several civilians in the water in distress. (Island Sun, Aug. 18 edition) Who takes off his/her shoes and jumps in, risking his/her own life? Answer: The ones with FIRE RESCUE on their shirt. The Manatee Sheriff’s Office was the first at the scene in Anna Maria two weeks ago, but it was my son, firefighter Nathan Bergbom, and firefighter Jeff Philips, who risked their lives in the current off Sycamore Street. If the city commissioner had been there, who would he have expected to do this duty? Had he also been 30 years old standing there, too, would he have jumped in or would he have looked at the guy with the FIRE RESCUE shirt, thinking "This is your job". It is their job. They do not think twice about their own safety, but only of those in harm’s way. We all know that we depend upon the sacrifices these wonderful men and women afford us each and every day. I couldn't be more proud to be the mother of a Manatee County firefighter.

Janice Bergbom
Anna Maria

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